Sapele (small) (Entandrophragm Cylindricum), 2015
Sapele Hardwood, 25 x 42 x 19 inches/ 61cm x 107cm x 49cm. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
ORIGINAL may be one of the most signicant hallmarks of the value of a work of art. ORIGINS may be the most valuable term for individual or group identity. The connection of art and identity through place forms the essence of this exhibition of new works by South African artist, Sean Slemon.
The process for each sculpture begins by selecting a species of tree from Africa, and using the lumber from that species to build it into a solid representation of the shadow of the tree- a Sisyphean, or perhaps heroic attempt to turn the lumber back into shadow of the tree from which it comes – a mis en abyme of origin in multiple senses.
The processes begin in absence, or remove from the country of origin. Slemon choses indigenous African lumber from a local lumber importer in the New York area and researches the species from which the wood comes, producing drawings of the shape of the tree- essentially a silhouette. 3D drawings scaled to the nal work calculate material needs, cut angle, the scale and lumber thickness.
While working in South Africa for a public commission and editioned works, Slemon used a CNC milling machine that produced a series of programmed cuts from a 3D drawing with spectacular results. However for this exhibition, he wanted to create individually honed works to create a uniqueness that the machine milled works could not produce. Thus a double return to the notion of originals and origins.
As the artist states: “Part of the artistic process that has become so valuable for me is that of making the work myself. So many artists nowadays outsource fabrication for a myriad of reasons: all of which I can understand-and I have done so myself when that option is available to me: I don't have an ethical or moral problem with it, however when you are the only person making that work on your own in the studio there are so many small decisions and discoveries that one makes that add so much to the work, making it unique. It’s good to be reminded of this.”
The works here circle back to Slemon’s original interest in natural light, trees and other natural resources: the issues of accessibility to these precious, yet threatened elements. In the supplementary labels of the works in the exhibition, Slemon’s thoughts and reections will take you through his personal journey of their making.
The drawings: A note of context
All of the drawings here (with one exception) were made over the period of three trips to South Africa, They are made of cement or soil, taken from around the tree in the drawing: a material concept that relates the work to the tree. (The cement works of course don't have this conceptual layer- but the cement for me tends to be a test since this is a material with which I’d like to build)
Sometimes the drawings test the concept of a work, sometimes they are a meditation on the sculpture, at other times they remain as drawings complete in themselves.
Face the Sun was a preparatory drawing for a 10 ft work that I produced in mild steel and stainless steel. This is currently on show at Nirox Sculpture Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shadow is a test for a future sculpture. It represents the shadow of a tree at noon-with the sun overhead. Here I envision the shadow rendered solid while the original tree is removed.
Floating Tree (Cement) is a drawing I made of the sculpture after it was produced. I had it made while I was out of the country, and didn't see the work until I returned later. So making this drawing was a way of both spending time with the work- and also a way of re-imagining it as well, to see how the work could be oriented.
Hangman’s Elm is a drawing of the oldest living tree in Manhattan. It is located on the northwest side of Washington Square Park and is estimated to be about 330 years old and is easily the largest tree in the park. While it was never used to hang anyone, there are stories of other nearby Elm's that were used for such purposes. I took the surrounding soil for the drawing, trying to inconspicuously remove soil from the base of the tree, which at the time was under two feet of snow and surrounded by local drug dealers.
Origin Unknown (Africa): Front: Mohogany. Back: Shadow, Floating Tree and Hangman's Elm. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa): Front: Mohogany, Back: Public Property (stills), Shadow. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Unknown Origin (Africa): Front: Mahogany, Back: Public Property Stills, Shadow. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Unknown Origin (Africa): Front: Mohogany, Back: Public Property (stills), Shadow. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa): Front: Paduak, Back: Light. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa) Left: Light. Middle: Paduak. Right: FirstLigtht/SecondLight/ThirdLight. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa): Front: Paduak. Back: FirstLight/ SecondLight/ ThirdLight. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa): Front: Mohogany, Back: Floating Tree and Hangman's Elm. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa): Front: Mohogany Middle: Sapele. Back Hangman's Elm, Thunderstorm. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa): Left: Happiness 2015, Back: Tree Shadow, Related, Playing and Owning ||, Acacia Johannesburg. Front: Sapele (small). Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Origin Unknown (Africa): Front: Sapele, Back: Mohogany, Left: Public Property (stills), Shadow. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Sapele (Entandrophragm Cylindricum), 2015
Sapele Hardwood/Mild steel base
56 x 69 x 31-1/2 inches | 142.2 x 175.3 x 77.5 cm. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
The Sapele tree is native to tropical Africa and is a protected species with felling restrictions in most countries. The tree grows to 150 feet. Sapele is often sold as a Mahogany replacement and, of course, is better known, but I found Sapele to be very different: harder, finer in grain, and productive of a better finish.
It is also extremely hard and used for various high-endapplications such as instruments, but is most popular for flooring.
Of the four sculptures in the show- this was the rst one I made. Here I really began to understand what the notion of hand made and all the implicit decisions: It was refreshing to be able to do so.
Sapele (Entandrophragm Cylindricum), 2015
Sapele Hardwood/Mild steel base,
56 x 69 x 31-1/2 inches | 142.2 x 175.3 x 77.5 cm. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Sapele (Entandrophragm Cylindricum), 2015
Sapele Hardwood/Mild steel base
56 x 69 x 31-1/2 inches | 142.2 x 175.3 x 77.5 cm.
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
African Mahogany (Khaya Ivorensis), 2015
African Mahogany Hardwood
53-1/2 x 26 x 54 inches | 133.4 x 66 x 137.2 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
African Mahogany (Khaya Ivorensis), 2015
African Mahogany Hardwood
53-1/2 x 26 x 54 inches | 133.4 x 66 x 137.2 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
I chose this species for a few reasons: first of all Mahogany is almost synonymous with African lumber and is often a catch all for many dierent species. Genuine Mahogany, however, refers to only two or three specic species in Africa, South America, Asia, India. It is this species that informed the title of the show: Origin Unknown (Africa). Mahogany is also the poster boy for illegal logging and forestry in West Africa and South America where corruption can evade all the restrictions imposed on logging. It should also be noted that tracing a lumber back to it’s origin is extremely dicult, if not impossible, so prosecution of infringement of the environment is hard to implement.
When I began working with this African Mahogany after working with Sapele and Paduak- I began to think I had been sold something else (this does happen). The wood is so much softer and more fibrous and almost furry or hairy in grain than the other harder grains of the other lumbers.
African Mahogany (Khaya Ivorensis), 2015
African Mahogany Hardwood
53-1/2 x 26 x 54 inches | 133.4 x 66 x 137.2 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Peduak (Pterocarpus Soyaxi), 2015
African Padauk Hardwood
22 x 38-1/2 x 46-1/2 inches | 55.9 x 95.3 x 115.6 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
The most striking thing about Padauk is the color of the wood. It’s red natural color of this wood has not been dyed or stained: in fact the wood is often used to dye clothing, and the pigment is extremely pervasive. While I was making this work the sawdust stained all my clothing, my skin, my hands and basically anything that came into contact with the lumber. Hand sanding was particularly staining. The lumber contains very high amounts of silica and resin (which you can actually see crystals of in the highly polished areas of the work) and the dust has an almost oily quality. The dust is known to cause dermatitis in some people. The leaves are edible and contain high amounts of vitamin C, and the bark is used in herbal medicine applications.
The wood from this tree is often used for instrument making. It produces a very specic tonal quality. I found this lumber to be unusually hard, and very tough on tools
This works form is the very simple extrusion of the Paduak Tree as opposed to a shadow, which is what all the other works are forms of, but made using the same process.
Peduak (Pterocarpus Soyaxi), 2015
African Padauk Hardwood
22 x 38-1/2 x 46-1/2 inches | 55.9 x 95.3 x 115.6 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Light, 2012
Wall Mounted Laser cut stainless steel
63 x 47-1/4 inches | 160 x 120 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
When I began working with light, one of the most seductive things I discovered was the challenge of combining a moment in time –(as in photography or painting) with an implied or indicated movement of the passage of that light through time. Doing this in a sculptural form is a very dierent challenge- without getting drawn into a kinetic or physical representation of movement and animation- video enables this to be done in a more literal sense.
For me the challenge was to record and represent light - that could be manipulated, moved and placed where light didn't necessarily exist. The space for this work in this exhibition allowed me to expand on this conceptually.
This work also led me into the etchings as well- First, Second and Third Light. The etchings were produced around the same time in South Africa, working in conjunction with David Krut Projects and Jill Ross
Happiness , 2015 (Chasing the Light)
Site Specific Painting: August 29th, 10:32 to 12:33
Size Variable
Acrylic paint on floors and walls.
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
I made a version of this work in Johannesburg in 2012 as part of a group with the Center for Historical Reenactments, curated by Gabi Ngcobo. I wanted to repeat this work as it adds a layer of imagery to an idea best realized in 3 dimensional form- However I often extend my practice into drawing and these drawings exist as plans for sculpture. I think of them as implied sculptures: a more ecient version of the whole form.
When I made this work in Johannesburg, I spent the day tracing the light, only to arrive the next day to see the marks removed and the oor clean. The woman who worked there had misunderstood the curator, who asked her not to clean the oor-and Happiness, misunderstood the instruction. I named the work after her.
This comic mistake of disappearing sunlight from a space that, at best, gets no more than 2 hours of direct sunlight during the day, brings me full circle back to my interest in light, trees and access to natural resources.
Natural resources- that we take for granted each day- are going to become the linchpin of our society as much as something like oil is today.
African Mahogany (Khaya Ivorensis),2015 (close up)
African Mahogany Hardwood
53-1/2 x 26 x 54 inches | 133.4 x 66 x 137.2 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Sapele (Entandrophragm Cylindricum), 2015
Sapele Hardwood/Mild steel base
56 x 69 x 31-1/2 inches | 142.2 x 175.3 x 77.5 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Sapele (Entandrophragm Cylindricum), 2015
Sapele Hardwood/Mild steel base
56 x 69 x 31-1/2 inches | 142.2 x 175.3 x 77.5 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Peduak (Pterocarpus Soyaxi), 2015
African Padauk Hardwood
22 x 38-1/2 x 46-1/2 inches | 55.9 x 95.3 x 115.6 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown
Peduak (Pterocarpus Soyaxi), 2015
African Padauk Hardwood
22 x 38-1/2 x 46-1/2 inches | 55.9 x 95.3 x 115.6 cm
Photo Credit: Andrew Brown